Foojay Podcast #24: BeJUG, BruJUG and how Devoxx was born as JavaPolis

Belgium punches above its weight in the Java world, and most of that energy comes from a small group of people who keep local communities alive. This episode digs into how BeJUG started in 1997, how BruJUG joined later, and how a local conference called JavaPolis turned into Devoxx. I sit down with Olivier Hubaut (BruJUG), Stephan Janssen (founder of BeJUG, Devoxx, Devoxx4Kids, and Voxxed), and Tom Cools (AntwerpJUG, BeJUG) for Foojay Podcast #24.

What we talked about

• The history of BeJUG and the JavaPolis origins
• How BruJUG started and how it grew
• The impact of COVID on Devoxx and BruJUG
• The BeJUG restart in 2022
• Attracting speakers and mentoring newcomers
• Devoxx4Kids and its global expansion
• The name change from JavaPolis to Devoxx
• Future plans and the CFP process

The story behind these communities shows how much volunteer work goes into keeping a tech ecosystem alive. We also touch on how new speakers find their way in, which matters for anyone thinking about giving their first talk.

See the Foojay Podcast #24 for all info, shownotes, links, etc.